Lock



May 26, 1925.

' 1,539,301 T. c. COOPER LOCK \ Filed March 1 1923 u 7, 5, O a $2 wfwvw @w WWM 9 M j w @2 z MW 2 m W W W I Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES THOMAS C. COOPER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

: Loan.

Application filed March 1, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. Coornn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in locks, andmore particularly to tire locks, although, as will be apparent from the following description, the improvements are not limited to such use, but, on the contrary, are of much broader adaptation and capable of use in many other connections.

One object of the invention is to provide a lock of the class described which shall be simple in construction and operation and economical to manufacture, and one which at the same time shall possess the desired ruggedness and security, so essential in locks of this character.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein one form of trated.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of'a lock constructed in accordance with the'present invention Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but showing the locking element released; i

Fig. 1 is a sectional view, taken on the line tir-tt of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

the invention is illustrating the construction of the cable or look ing band and Fig. 7 is a sectional view, taken through a cable or band of slightly modified construction.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 9 designates the lock casing, the same being provided with a plurality of openings 10 and 11 extending therethrough fromtop to bottom, and said casing having formed therein, intermediate said openings and extending at right angles thereto, a well 12 or the like. The casing is, preferably, in the form of an integral casting of some special alloy metal.

Serial No. 621,997.

Slidably mounted in the well 12 is the locking element 13, in the form of a substantially cylindrical plug-like member, of a diameter to fit said well snugly. The looking element is headed at its outer end, as shown at 1 1, which head serves to limit the inward travel of the locking member by engagement with the countersunk shoulder 9 of the casing. The outward travel of said element is limited by the head 15 of guide rods 16, which extend through said element and are anchored at their inner ends in the adjacent wall of the casing. Coil springs 17 surround these rods and are interposed between the adjacent wall of the casing and the inner end of the plug-like locking element 13, which springs normally tend to force said element outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The heads 15 of the guide rods operate in suitable sockets 18 formed in the outer face of the locking element, the head 14: of said element limiting the inward movement thereof, as previously described, and theheads 15 of the guide rods 16 limiting the outward movement thereof by engagement with the shoulders at the bottom of the sockets 18.

Thelocking element 13 is provided, on one side thereof, with a plurality of locking teeth 19, preferably formed integral with said element, which, when said element is thrust inwardlyas shown in Fig. 2-project into the opening 10 of the casing through a suitable port 20 providing communication between the well 12 and said opening. The locking element 13 is provided eccentrioally with a key lock 21, preferablyof the cylinder type. barrel of this lock carries a locking lug 22 Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view 'illus- The rotatable at its inner end, designed to cooperate with a locking groove 23 formed lnthe inner wall of the caslng ad acent the base of the wall 12. Thus the locking element, when thrust inwardly and the lock 21 operated to cause the locking lug 22 to engage within the look ing groove 28, is locked in locking position with its teeth 19 projecting into the opening 10, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. To release the locking element the lock is operated to release the lug. from the groove, whereupon the springs 17 force said element outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the teeth 19 are removed from the opening 10.

A locking band or armored cable 24. is

used in conjunction with the lock, said band comprisinga center, cable or. cableso f. heavy gauge wire, or the like, 25, on. which are strung a plurality of link members 26, alternate ones of which are provided with sem1- spherical projections 27' at opposite ends thereof, and the remaining links being pro-.7

vided with corresponding recesses 28 in their opposite ends, so that saidlinks when the band is assembled, as shown in Figs. 1, G, and 7, for instanee, interiit so as to obstruct access to the wires25 while at the same-timerendering the band flexible, so that. it may be,-

passed aroundithearticle to be looked insubstantially circular fashion; and; drawn into firm clampingengagement therewith.

In Figzfione method o-f clamping the. cen terv wiresto the end linksof the bandiis illustrated; Inthis figure the end link comprises a longitudinally soc eted member 29,; provided with diametrically opposite slots 30.. An aperture. 8,1 is provided ii -theinner end ofthe member 29, through whith the wirecable or; cables 32 extendinto the socket pro: vided in saidinembfer. At tlIG PO'LDt o-f;en trance ofthe cablesinto the socket: the formor are bent laterally, as. showmand a plug 33-,is thenseoured firmly in tho socket with its lower end bearing down upon the laterally extending. portions of said cables. to;

clamp the firmly a ainst displacement.

The free ends. of the. cables arethei bent,

upwardly. againstthe sides of the plug, so as to lie within; the slots. 80. A thimble orsle eve 3a; is. then moved into theposition shown, so as tocover;tl1e slo.ts,hold the free ends of the cable firmly,against the plug-38,.

and prevent access thereto. The-plug, preferably, has a screw-threaded engagement with the socket, and 'is .-posit ioned by means of, any. suitable. tool .whichis engaged withe in theslotfifi atth-e outeryend thereof, said plugbeing of such length that said outer;

llofthe casing 9,. and,drawn therethrough, until the-head BGofthelink at-the opposite end of, theband engages thecountersunk shoulder 37 at one endof said opening.

This engagementbetween-the headandthe shoulder prevents the band from being pulled all the way. through the openin to be locked and the. free end tliereoflthen while the O-thjl;. end link. is. straightfromend to. end, or substantially inserted through the opening 10 of the easing, the locking element? having been previously, released" so that. the teeth thereof are removed from said opening. The free end of the cable is then pulled so as to bring the same into fir-m clamping engagement with the article to be looked, after which the locking element 13 is thrust inwardly, whereupon theteeth, 19 thereof are projected into the opening 10 and into locking engagement with said cable Inthis position the locking element is locked, and serves effectively to prevent removal of the cable, as will be readily appreciated.

In Fig. 7 aslightly modified form'of looking bandis illustrated. Inthis construction the links are strungupon asinglestrand of, wire and the links at theopposit-e ends thereof are provided with screw-threaded sockets 38, the endsof the wire enteringsaid links through 1 the inner ends thereof being cut off and bent laterally, so astolie againstthe bottomof. said sockets. A. small plug 39, having a groove 40 therein, is theindrivenv into the socket and into firm engagement with the-bent end of the-wire, witlithe latter-ly-ing within saidgroovedO. A screwthreaded plug ffl is. then screwed firmlydown uponthe. plug 39, so asto hold the same firmly in position; The plug i1 is also preferably 'made longer. than neeessary and slotted in its outer end for convenience-in positioningthe same, said-slotted end being afterwards ground off to prevent removal oftheplug. 1

It will be obvious that the present 1111; provements are susceptible. of; many changes and modifications without departing from thespi-ritof the invention, and accordingly it is not desired to limit or restrict thesame,

except where limitations appear inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In anlock, a-casing havingaplurality. of openings extending thereth'rough andan well fOllliLGCl therein, an element slidably mounted in said well and provided witha locking-toothdesigned to project into one of said openings in one position of said element, means for-lockingsaid element in such position, sa-iddocking means being housed within said element, and meansfor automatically moving said element. to disengage said. tooth upon release of said locking; means.

2. In ,ailock, a; casing having, aplurality of, openings extending therethrough and a well formed, therein, an element slidably mounted in said well and provided..withza.

. lockingtooth designed to project into one of said openings in one position. of said .element,means for locking said element in such position, ,saiddockingmeans being housed lhe cable 18 then passed around the article.-

within. said element, means for automatically 12) moving said element to disengage said tooth upon release of said locking means, and means for guiding said element in its movement and for limiting the latter upon such release.

3. The combination with a locking member of a locking band associated therewith and designed to encompass the article to be locked, said band comprising a cable, a plurality of links strung thereon and interfitting so as to obstruct access to said cable, the end link of said band being provided with a socket having a slot in the wall thereof, said cable entering said socket through an aperture in the base thereof and being then bent late ally and upwardly so as to lie within said slot, a thimble engaging over said link and covering said slot from the exterior, and a plug fitting said socket and engaging said cable at the bottom thereof and overlying said slot on the interior.

4. The combination with a locking member of a locking band associated therewith and designed to encompass the article to be locked, said band comprising a cable, a plurality of links strung thereon and interfitting so as to obstruct access to said cable, the end link of said band being provided with a socket, said cable entering the latter through an aperture in the base thereof and being then bent laterally, and a plug fitting said socket and bearing down upon the bent end of said cable to lock the same againstdisplacement.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

THOMAS c. coornn] 

